Black Folks Are Advocating for the Unhoused

By Aswad Walker Originally appeared in Word in Black According to various sources, the number of homeless persons in Houston at any given moment in 2023 was roughly 3,300. This number may feel low to persons who frequently drive along Bayou City streets, feeder roads, and other areas where large numbers of the unhoused congregate. And for good reason. That number is dwarfed when considering that in 2021, more than 21,000 people in Harris, Fort Bend, and Montgomery counties accessed some type of homeless service. And when those who sought homelessness prevention and other services (i.e. clothing or food assistance) are added, the number jumps to more than 52,000 people. And homelessness isn’t just a condition that happens to “other” people. With over 16% of Harris County residents living in poverty (a 2021 number that doesn’t include those teetering on the brink of poverty), homelessness for many could be just one missed check, one serious medical emergency, or one lost job away. Case in point, last year 42% of unsheltered people were homeless for the first time — up from 40% in 2022. And Black people made up 55% of people living in the Greater Houston area experiencing homelessness even...